Heartbreaker

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At first, I imagined giving this book a one-star review. Pony's perspective was very flat, and the dog's voice made me cringe and ask what I was reading. Then we got to Supernatural's part, and at first some things still really bothered me, but I started noticing how Claudia Dey was really playing with the words, and even more so, the structure, to make this story stand out from the rest. Martaus, Alaine (2020). "Heartstopper: Volume 2 by Alice Oseman". Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books. 74 (3): 139–140. doi: 10.1353/bcc.2020.0774. ISSN 1558-6766. S2CID 226752465. I have to admit that while I was reading this book I didn’t enjoy it very much at all but as I let it percolate in my head for a few days I actually like it a lot more. It has grown on me! I still wouldn’t say that I loved it but I have respect for the inventiveness of the author. I absolutely loved this book, it is well written and keeps you on your toes all the way to the last chapter.’

Compared to the DCI Gillard series, this book is much more cinematic, to the point of working in multiple countdown timer type scenes ("spoiler:" the day is saved, with seconds to spare!) This is where it veers into action movie script territory, quite different from DCI Gillard. Also, the Really Bad Guys sure are ... Really Bad. Jamieson, Teddy (13 December 2019). "Graphic Content: The best comics and graphic novels of the year as chosen by comic creators". The Herald . Retrieved 25 May 2022. The mystery of the story was just as bad. The bad guy, 'Heartbreaker', could have been really scary (just consider why he gave himself that name) but he ended up being more of a caricature of a psycho killer. His internal monologue was ridiculous and just made me want to laugh more than anything. His old-fashioned way of speaking - using the phrase 'Yes, sirree' when he was talking to himself - the way he kept telling the reader that he was oh so intelligent, but he never really behaved intelligently. And then there's the oh so easy to spot red herring, he practically had a neon sign above his head that screamed "I am not the killer". This book. THIS BOOK! I had no idea what I was in for when I started it. All I knew is that it was kind of a mystery set in the '80s... White, Peter (11 July 2019). " 'Top Of The Lake' Producer See-Saw Films To Adapt Alice Oseman's Graphic Novel Series 'Heartstopper' For TV". Deadline . Retrieved 29 April 2022.

The inspiring ones

The book skipped around so much I had trouble keeping the timeline straight. From paragraph to paragraph within a section the timeline could change every single time. I had trouble keeping it all straight. (Maybe I didn't much care?) The book is a tangle of the past and present, everyone's memories colliding with what is currently happening to bring about a picture of Billie Jean that's fuzzy around the edges—the only person we don't hear from is her. From her mythic entrance to the territory, to how she never fully fit in, to the secrets of her long past and not so long past, the blank edges of a woman are filled in through the thoughts, memories, and opinions of those who were close to her. Aroesti, Rachel (18 March 2022). "No drugs, booze, sex or swearing: will Heartstopper rewrite the young love rulebook?". The Guardian . Retrieved 13 September 2022.

Aled Last, Charlie's gay demisexual friend and the main character in another of Oseman's novels, Radio Silence. Turkey's family ministry calls book with gay characters a 'harmful publication' ". The Turkish Minute. 9 September 2021 . Retrieved 13 May 2023. What begins as a simple mystery—a daughter attempting to investigate the sudden disappearance of her mother—turns into a much stranger and more engrossing tale. . . . Dey deepens this dark fantasy through the imaginatively detailed, keen observations of teen narrator Pony Darlene Fontaine, who muses about her place amid this blank landscape while anchoring the proceedings with sly pop-culture references. Dey’s rich prose drives the story with poetic acuteness.” — LA Weekly Heartbreaker is released 10 September. Read our review of the Tania Carver novel Choked here, and Truth or Dare here. This book was nothing like I expected to be, yet it was so much more. It is a bizarre little story, that focuses on the disappearance of Billie Jean Fontaine and is told from three perspectives: the girl, the dog, and the boy. Through these three perspectives, readers can piece together information about Billie’s life before the territory, her life in the territory, and the events leading up to her disappearance.I’m one of those readers who still laments Garwood’s shift from Historical Romance to Romantic Suspense. Still, I did like this darker foray into this popular contemporary genre. The psycho was just a tad too perverted for me, but I was expecting it. I'm reading this for the 'Romance involving Murder' category of the Unapologetic Romance Readers Halloween Challenge Wratten, Marcus (19 July 2023). "Alice Oseman slams decision to fine Hungarian bookshop for selling Heartstopper: 'Sad and angry' ". thepinknews.com. Writing for The National, Gemma McLaughlin praised the novels for being able to "capture the attention" through "the small stories that make up life" rather than plot twists and heavy drama. She called the story "infinitely welcoming with characters that seem like real life friends", singling out Charlie as "extremely likeable" and praising the novels' treatment of his mental health. [13] Publishers Weekly said that the novels' "leisurely pace and focus on everyday events ... allows the characters' relationship to develop in a natural, relatable way" and stated that the art style complemented the tone of the story. [14] Imogen Russell Williams in The Times Literary Supplement called Oseman's illustration style "loose and flowing" and said of the novels that they "[engage] directly with shame, fear and anxiety, bringing them sweetly into the light". [15] The A.V. Club included the webcomic on its list of "The best comics of 2018", with Caitlin Rosberg saying that it is "best defined by its kindness both to the characters and the reader". [16] Metaphrog also included the comic on The Herald's 2019 list of "The best comics and graphic novels of the year as chosen by comic creators". [17] Williams, Imogen Russell (22 October 2021). "Speed, rage, heat or stink: The conventions and merits of the children's graphic novel". The Times Literary Supplement . Retrieved 13 September 2022.

Heartbreaker is a dark star of a book, glittering with mordant humor and astonishing, seductive strangeness and grace. I am a giant fan of Claudia Dey’s wild brain.” Three narrators. Three completely different voices that introduce you to each other, other main players and The Territory through unique lenses all their own that sometimes compliment, sometimes contradict and sometimes, you wish, could be held through a panel discussion because it would heal so many hurts. I love Julie Garwood, but I have only ever read her HR books. This book just didn't do it for me. It wasn't bad but it was just okay. The 2 main problems I had with this book was It is fair to say that the first chapter of this book scared the unholy crap out of me. I suspect this was because I listened to the audio version while commuting to work. The voice of the villian was ... creepy. Very, very creepy. But so perfect for the part.Martaus, Alaine (2020). "Heartstopper: Volume 1; by Alice Oseman". Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books. 73 (10): 442–443. doi: 10.1353/bcc.2020.0437. ISSN 1558-6766. S2CID 219502331.